Vladimir Putin criticized organizations that are keeping Russian athletes from representing their country, according to a statement carried by Russian state news agency TASS.
His remarks followed announcements from Hockey Canada and Prime Minister Mark Carney that Russian players would not be allowed at next month’s World Junior Championships in Alberta, despite a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) lifting the ban.
Putin argued that restrictions on Russian sports were politically motivated and violated both legal commitments and court decisions. He said the situation also undermined democratic institutions.
Russia was absent from Olympic hockey earlier this year, the first Olympic tournament since 2014 to feature NHL players, and was not included in the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, four days after that year’s Olympic competition ended.
Belarus also accused Canada of discrimination. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ruslan Varanov said Thursday that denying visas based on nationality ran counter to the principles of international sport. He added that competition results should be decided on the field, not at visa offices.
On Friday, CAS ruled that Russian teams could take part in upcoming men’s and women’s world championships, overturning the International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) decision to exclude them. The World Juniors will be the first tournament affected by the ruling.
Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic, Norway, Latvia and Denmark have said they will boycott games against Russia while the war in Ukraine continues. Carney said Russian and Belarusian athletes would not compete for their countries in Canada as long as the war persisted, specifically ruling out Russia’s participation in the World Juniors.
Hockey Canada thanked the federal government for its position and said it would discuss next steps with its board. Meanwhile, German workwear company STRAUSS, a major sponsor of next year’s world championships, said it would remove its logos from the event if Russia competed in 2027 and was considering ending its sponsorship altogether.
If Russia competes at next month’s World Juniors, it will be the country’s first appearance in the tournament since 2021. Its last gold medal came in 2011.
